In his effort to get back to full strength and be a productive weapon in the rushing game, Johnson has received treatment on his hamstring three times a day. He wakes up each morning and does treatment at 6:30 a.m. before class, then undergoes another round after class. Then comes practice in the afternoon, after which he does a third round of treatments, which entail a lot of ice, stretching and other exercises for his hamstring.

"Coach Malzahn definitely encourages treatment, to say the least," Johnson said. "...You just go whenever you can, basically. They make sure they get you over here and they make sure that you go. They definitely check up on it. They want you to be healthy, and that's on us. We're scholarship athletes here. We should be playing every Saturday, and treatment helps us do that."

That treatment has led to obvious improvements in Johnson's game since his return.

The increase in Johnson's production against Mississippi State, when he averaged 5.04 yards per carry, compared to Missouri, when he averaged 2.67 yards per rush, is an indication of Johnson's improving health. So, too, was his 59-yard run against the Bulldogs -- which marked his second longest of the season.

"Definitely (getting healthier)," Johnson said. "Even on the run last week where a guy caught up to me, I wouldn't have been able to run that far the week before. I know week by week it's just getting better, getting better, getting better. One of these weeks I'll be healthy, and you'll see what I can really do."

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.